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But she had already drained £149,000 from the brothers, which she splurged on luxury hotel rooms, limousines and taking friends to concerts.

She justified her extravagant spending by telling the pair she had a series of serious illnesses, including cancer and liver disease, the court heard.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, said Mitchell had deliberately preyed on the vulnerable technophobes.

'Derek and Richard Fortune live together in what was their parents' house,' she said. 'They have a frugal lifestyle, and are unsophisticated in the ways of the world.

Technophobic: Mitchell drained cash from her fiancé's brother for almost three years before she was shopped

'They have not embraced the technological age and until they met this lady were inexperienced in relationships.

'She would tell them she was suffering from life-threatening illnesses including liver disease and cancer and at times was receiving treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

'Enquiries revealed the money was being used on limousines and staying in a number of hotels as well as taking friends to concerts and at one stage she was in contact with an estate agent about buying a house.

'The total loss to Derek Fortune is in the region of £108,000 while the loss to his brother makes up the remainder of the £149,000.'

I fear that if I lose him through ill health I will not have anything worth living for. This seems to be a living nightmare which just gets worse. There is nothing left

Fraud victim Derek Fortune

Richard Fortune has since suffered a heart attack caused by the stress and remains in hospital awaiting a transplant, the court heard.

In a victim impact statement read in court, Derek said: 'This money I will never be able to replace and was the savings of my life's work.

'I am on the point of losing my job where I have worked for 20 years because I have had to take so much time off to visit my brother.

'I fear that if I lose him through ill health I will not have anything worth living for. This seems to be a living nightmare which just gets worse. There is nothing left.

'Despite what happens to her today these debts will stay with us, and I can't see any light at the end of the tunnel.'

Mitchell pleaded guilty to 15 counts of fraud and one of theft.

Judge Peter Blair QC told her: 'You have utterly destroyed the lives of two men, who were vulnerable through their lack of sophistication in the modern world.

'They have months and years of misery ahead of them and you have devastated them with these actions.'

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Fraudster pretended she had cancer to scam fiancé and family out of £150k